err() {
  echo "[$(date +'%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S%z')]: $@" >&2
}

if ! do_something; then
  err "Unable to do_something"
  exit "${E_DID_NOTHING}"
fi

#!/bin/bash
#
# Perform hot backups of Oracle databases.

#!/bin/bash
#
# Perform hot backups of Oracle databases.

export PATH='/usr/xpg4/bin:/usr/bin:/opt/csw/bin:/opt/goog/bin'

#######################################
# Cleanup files from the backup dir
# Globals:
#   BACKUP_DIR
#   ORACLE_SID
# Arguments:
#   None
# Returns:
#   None
#######################################
cleanup() {
...
}

# TODO(mrmonkey): Handle the unlikely edge cases (bug ####)

# DO use 'here document's
cat <<END;
I am an exceptionally long
string.
END

# Embedded newlines are ok too
long_string="I am an exceptionally
  long string."

# All fits on one line
command1 | command2

# Long commands
command1 \
  | command2 \
  | command3 \
  | command4

for dir in ${dirs_to_cleanup}; do
  if [[ -d "${dir}/${ORACLE_SID}" ]]; then
    log_date "Cleaning up old files in ${dir}/${ORACLE_SID}"
    rm "${dir}/${ORACLE_SID}/"*
    if [[ "$?" -ne 0 ]]; then
      error_message
    fi
  else
    mkdir -p "${dir}/${ORACLE_SID}"
    if [[ "$?" -ne 0 ]]; then
      error_message
    fi
  fi
done

case "${expression}" in
  a)
    variable="..."
    some_command "${variable}" "${other_expr}" ...
  ;;
  absolute)
    actions="relative"
    another_command "${actions}" "${other_expr}" ...
  ;;
  *)
    error "Unexpected expression '${expression}'"
  ;;
esac

# Section of recommended cases.

# Preferred style for 'special' variables:
echo "Positional: $1" "$5" "$3"
echo "Specials: !=$!, -=$-, _=$_. ?=$?, #=$# *=$* @=$@ \$=$$ ..."

# Braces necessary:
echo "many parameters: ${10}"

# Braces avoiding confusion:
# Output is "a0b0c0"
set -- a b c
echo "${1}0${2}0${3}0"

# Preferred style for other variables:
echo "PATH=${PATH}, PWD=${PWD}, mine=${some_var}"
while read f; do
  echo "file=${f}"
done < <(ls -l /tmp)

# Section of discouraged cases

# Unquoted vars, unbraced vars, brace-quoted single letter
# shell specials.
echo a=$avar "b=$bvar" "PID=${$}" "${1}"

# Confusing use: this is expanded as "${1}0${2}0${3}0",
# not "${10}${20}${30}
set -- a b c
echo "$10$20$30"

# 'Single' quotes indicate that no substitution is desired.
# "Double" quotes indicate that substitution is required/tolerated.

# Simple examples
# "quote command substitutions"
flag="$(some_command and its args "$@" 'quoted separately')"

# "quote variables"
echo "${flag}"

# "never quote literal integers"
value=32
# "quote command substitutions", even when you expect integers
number="$(generate_number)"

# "prefer quoting words", not compulsory
readonly USE_INTEGER='true'

# "quote shell meta characters"
echo 'Hello stranger, and well met. Earn lots of $$$'
echo "Process $$: Done making \$\$\$."

# "command options or path names"
# ($1 is assumed to contain a value here)
grep -li Hugo /dev/null "$1"

# Less simple examples
# "quote variables, unless proven false": ccs might be empty
git send-email --to "${reviewers}" ${ccs:+"--cc" "${ccs}"}

# Positional parameter precautions: $1 might be unset
# Single quotes leave regex as-is.
grep -cP '([Ss]pecial|\|?characters*)$' ${1:+"$1"}

# For passing on arguments,
# "$@" is right almost everytime, and
# $* is wrong almost everytime:
#
# * $* and $@ will split on spaces, clobbering up arguments
#   that contain spaces and dropping empty strings;
# * "$@" will retain arguments as-is, so no args
#   provided will result in no args being passed on;
#   This is in most cases what you want to use for passing
#   on arguments.
# * "$*" expands to one argument, with all args joined
#   by (usually) spaces,
#   so no args provided will result in one empty string
#   being passed on.
# (Consult 'man bash' for the nit-grits ;-)

set -- 1 "2 two" "3 three tres"; echo $# ; set -- "$*"; echo "$#, $@")
set -- 1 "2 two" "3 three tres"; echo $# ; set -- "$@"; echo "$#, $@")

# This is preferred:
var="$(command "$(command1)")"

# This is not:
var="`command \`command1\``"

# This ensures the string on the left is made up of characters in the
# alnum character class followed by the string name.
# Note that the RHS should not be quoted here.
# For the gory details, see
# E14 at http://tiswww.case.edu/php/chet/bash/FAQ
if [[ "filename" =~ ^[[:alnum:]]+name ]]; then
  echo "Match"
fi

# This matches the exact pattern "f*" (Does not match in this case)
if [[ "filename" == "f*" ]]; then
  echo "Match"
fi

# This gives a "too many arguments" error as f* is expanded to the
# contents of the current directory
if [ "filename" == f* ]; then
  echo "Match"
fi

# Do this:
if [[ "${my_var}" = "some_string" ]]; then
  do_something
fi

# -z (string length is zero) and -n (string length is not zero) are
# preferred over testing for an empty string
if [[ -z "${my_var}" ]]; then
  do_something
fi

# This is OK (ensure quotes on the empty side), but not preferred:
if [[ "${my_var}" = "" ]]; then
  do_something
fi

# Not this:
if [[ "${my_var}X" = "some_stringX" ]]; then
  do_something
fi  

# Use this
if [[ -n "${my_var}" ]]; then
  do_something
fi

# Instead of this as errors can occur if ${my_var} expands to a test
# flag
if [[ "${my_var}" ]]; then
  do_something
fi

# Here's the contents of the directory:
# -f  -r  somedir  somefile

# This deletes almost everything in the directory by force
psa@bilby$ rm -v *
removed directory: `somedir'
removed `somefile'

# As opposed to:
psa@bilby$ rm -v ./*
removed `./-f'
removed `./-r'
rm: cannot remove `./somedir': Is a directory
removed `./somefile'

# What does this set?
# Did it succeed? In part or whole?
eval $(set_my_variables)

# What happens if one of the returned values has a space in it?
variable="$(eval some_function)"

last_line='NULL'
your_command | while read line; do
  last_line="${line}"
done

# This will output 'NULL'
echo "${last_line}"

total=0
# Only do this if there are no spaces in return values.
for value in $(command); do
  total+="${value}"
done

total=0
last_file=
while read count filename; do
  total+="${count}"
  last_file="${filename}"
done < <(your_command | uniq -c)

# This will output the second field of the last line of output from
# the command.
echo "Total = ${total}"
echo "Last one = ${last_file}"

# Trivial implementation of awk expression:
#   awk '$3 == "nfs" { print $2 " maps to " $1 }' /proc/mounts
cat /proc/mounts | while read src dest type opts rest; do
  if [[ ${type} == "nfs" ]]; then
    echo "NFS ${dest} maps to ${src}"
  fi
done

# Single function
my_func() {
  ...
}

# Part of a package
mypackage::my_func() {
  ...
}

for zone in ${zones}; do
  something_with "${zone}"
done

# Constant
readonly PATH_TO_FILES='/some/path'

# Both constant and environment
declare -xr ORACLE_SID='PROD'

VERBOSE='false'
while getopts 'v' flag; do
  case "${flag}" in
    v) VERBOSE='true' ;;
  esac
done
readonly VERBOSE

zip_version="$(dpkg --status zip | grep Version: | cut -d ' ' -f 2)"
if [[ -z "${zip_version}" ]]; then
  error_message
else
  readonly zip_version
fi

my_func2() {
  local name="$1"

  # Separate lines for declaration and assignment:
  local my_var
  my_var="$(my_func)" || return

  # DO NOT do this: $? contains the exit code of 'local', not my_func
  local my_var="$(my_func)"
  [[ $? -eq 0 ]] || return

  ...
  }

main "$@"

if ! mv "${file_list}" "${dest_dir}/" ; then
  echo "Unable to move ${file_list} to ${dest_dir}" >&2
  exit "${E_BAD_MOVE}"
fi

# Or
mv "${file_list}" "${dest_dir}/"
if [[ "$?" -ne 0 ]]; then
  echo "Unable to move ${file_list} to ${dest_dir}" >&2
  exit "${E_BAD_MOVE}"
fi

tar -cf - ./* | ( cd "${dir}" && tar -xf - )
if [[ "${PIPESTATUS[0]}" -ne 0 || "${PIPESTATUS[1]}" -ne 0 ]]; then
  echo "Unable to tar files to ${dir}" >&2
fi

tar -cf - ./* | ( cd "${DIR}" && tar -xf - )
return_codes=(${PIPESTATUS[*]})
if [[ "${return_codes[0]}" -ne 0 ]]; then
  do_something
fi
if [[ "${return_codes[1]}" -ne 0 ]]; then
  do_something_else
fi

# Prefer this:
addition=$((${X} + ${Y}))
substitution="${string/#foo/bar}"

# Instead of this:
addition="$(expr ${X} + ${Y})"
substitution="$(echo "${string}" | sed -e 's/^foo/bar/')"